The disclosure relates generally to electronic devices and more specifically to methods and apparatus for protecting electrical connectors on such devices.
Connectors on electronic equipment, such as connectors on circuit boards for testing or data updates, only infrequently have a corresponding harness or other attachment during normal use. Thus such connectors are frequently conformal coated and potted directly in the connector shell, so as to keep out moisture and prevent corrosion of the pin contacts during use of the equipment.
But when it is time to perform testing, updates, or otherwise periodically attach a device to a connector configured for external test, repair, or update equipment, the connectors need to be free of the conformal coating. Once connectors are filled with potting compound, it is difficult and time consuming to remove when needed for access by the external device.
Further, the pin height inside the connector should be flush with the outer body of the connector. But after the connector shell is filled with uncured potting compound, the potting compound eventually shrinks, and this results in exposure of the pin tips to environmental hazards. In addition, a number of connectors, such as open-header type connectors, do not have a shell or other enclosure. It is not possible to protect the pins by conventional potting because there is nothing to retain the potting compound in the connector shell either during or after cure.